Yardbarker: DaQuan Joneshttp://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/players/daquan_jones/320615
Recent articles about DaQuan Jonesen-usTitans DE DaQuan Jones now a starterTennessee Titans defensive end DaQuan Jones started just one game his rookie season, but it was apparently enough to convince the team he should be given a starting job moving forward.On Tuesday, Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt said the team views the second-year player as a starter opposite Jurell Casey. Jones made his lone start of 2014 in the Titans' season finale against the Indianapolis Colts. "He's a starter at end, it's what we project," Whisenhunt said, via Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. "In the last game against Indianapolis, Jones played really well."The former fourth-round pick was inactive for nine games last season, but in that 27-10 loss to the Colts, Jones made the most of his limited opportunity, recording six tackles and a sack. Whisenhunt said fellow defensive end Ropati Pitoitua, who started 11 games last season, will be in the playing rotation as a reserve."(Pitoitua) is in there,'' Whisenhunt said of Pitoitua. "He's going to play."(h/t The Tennessean)Photo credit: Andrew Weber/USA TODAY Sp28 May 2015 00:03:13 -0400http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/titans_de_daquan_jones_now_a_starter/s1_8864_18867704
http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/titans_de_daquan_jones_now_a_starter/s1_8864_18867704Titans DE DaQuan Jones now a starterhttp://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/titans_de_daquan_jones_now_a_starter/s1_8864_18867704http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png2015 Tennessee Titans offseason positional analysis: DLConcluding the offensive half of our trip around the Tennessee Titans position by position with a look at the center position as we head (deeper) into the offseason, we (finally) continue with the defensive line.
When I did the offseason positional analysis, I clumped all the defensive linemen together, rather than splitting out the (large) group in some way. Given new defensive coordinator Ray Horton didn’t play distinct strongside and weakside ends, plus we didn’t know who would be playing nose tackle and if they would only be playing nose tackle, plus the uncertainty in dealing with sub package situations made me just leave them in a big lump. When I contemplated my schedule (which I never stick to anyway), I considered splitting out some “nose tackles” just to make the big positional analysis shorter. In the end, though, I decided to ignore my (fake) planning and just lump all the players together.
The fundamental question about the Tennessee defensive line is the same one now that 14 Apr 2015 18:00:28 -0400http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/2015_tennessee_titans_offseason_positional_analysis_dl/s1_10189_18626021
http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/2015_tennessee_titans_offseason_positional_analysis_dl/s1_10189_186260212015 Tennessee Titans offseason positional analysis: DLhttp://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/2015_tennessee_titans_offseason_positional_analysis_dl/s1_10189_18626021http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.pngTitans-Bengals inactives, preview notesThe inactives are out for today’s game at Paul Brown Stadium between the Tennessee Titans and the Cincinnati Bengals, and here they are.
CINCINNATI BENGALS: LB Vontaze Burfict, RB Rex Burkhead, WR Marvin Jones, CB Chris Lewis-Harris, LB Sean Porter, DT Brandon Thompson, G Kevin Zeitler
TENNESSEE TITANS: OLB Akeem Ayers, WR Kris Durham, WR T.J. Graham, DL DaQuan Jones, DL Mike Martin, QB Zach Mettenberger, OT Byron Stingily
The only real question for the Titans was whether Jason McCourty, listed as questionable, would suit up. Groin injuries are always tricky with defensive backs, of course, but I always thought it was likelier than not he’d play. Ken Whisenhunt said moderately positive things about Mike Martin’s play last week, which tells you more about Whisenhunt than it does about healthy scratch Martin. Of course, it may also be a commentary on what sort of game the Titans are expecting. As I’ve noted before, the Bengals generally prefer bigger players on the line and the Titans may 21 Sep 2014 11:55:49 -0400http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/titans_bengals_inactives_preview_notes/s1_10189_17328692
http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/titans_bengals_inactives_preview_notes/s1_10189_17328692Titans-Bengals inactives, preview noteshttp://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/titans_bengals_inactives_preview_notes/s1_10189_17328692http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.pngTitans-Chiefs inactives, preview notesThe Tennessee Titans kick off the 2014 regular season today at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City against the Chief. Here are the inactives for today’s contest:
TENNESSEE TITANS: OLB Akeem Ayers, WR Kris Durham, WR T.J. Graham, DL DaQuan Jones, DL Mike Martin, QB Zach Mettenberger OT Byron Stingily
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: FS Kurt Coleman, CB Marcus Cooper, OT Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, C Eric Kush, QB Aaron Murray, DE Damion Square, RB De’Anthony Thomas
No real surprises for the Titans. The only change from the inactives I expected was two defensive linemen down instead of one D-lineman and one defensive back, so Jones down instead of Brandon Harris or Marqueston Huff. Ditto the Chiefs; Cooper was listed as questionable and a healthy ankle can be kind of an issue for a cornerback.
Now that we know who’s playing, what about the game? The Titans played the Chiefs last year, but I didn’t give you a proper Enemy Intelligence then, just a meandering post on Jake Locker, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and the matchup.07 Sep 2014 11:45:04 -0400http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/titans_chiefs_inactives_preview_notes/s1_10189_17225840
http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/titans_chiefs_inactives_preview_notes/s1_10189_17225840Titans-Chiefs inactives, preview noteshttp://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/titans_chiefs_inactives_preview_notes/s1_10189_17225840http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png2014 Tennessee Titans preseason positional analysis: DLAfter concluding the offensive half of our trip around the Tennessee Titans position by position with center before the first preseason game, we continue with the defense, specifically the defensive line.
The first question with a defensive positional analysis is, just how should I approach the defensive half of the ball? In the offseason, I went with traditional defensive end and defensive tackle analyses, since the Titans had played a 4-3 the previous season and new defensive coordinator Ray Horton hadn’t announced or shown the Titans would be playing a 3-4 (though as I noted back in February, that was my assumption). Now we’ve seen the Titans play in a 3-4, and the question of how to approach these positional analyses is clearer. There still is a question of whether there should be one or two defensive line analyses, one for defensive ends and one for nose tackles.
At least for now, I’m going to cover all of the players in one grouping, for a couple reasons. First, it’s not clear to 13 Aug 2014 06:00:17 -0400http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/2014_tennessee_titans_preseason_positional_analysis_dl/s1_10189_17032070
http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/2014_tennessee_titans_preseason_positional_analysis_dl/s1_10189_170320702014 Tennessee Titans preseason positional analysis: DLhttp://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/2014_tennessee_titans_preseason_positional_analysis_dl/s1_10189_17032070http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.pngMore on DaQuan JonesWatching DaQuan Jones, I wondered, is he more than just a big guy on the defensive line? If he was, how would I tell? Scouting college players is all about projection of player traits to the next level. I’m comfortable with uncertainty in this process; that’s what my post on Bishop Sankey a couple days ago was all about. With Sankey, though, I had my ideas of what I was seeing, and could reasonably specify what issues separated Sankey the fifth-round runner I thought I saw from Sankey the second-round prospect the Titans saw. In my review of Jones, though, it occurred to me that I couldn’t tell you with any detail or confidence why I thought he was a second-round pick or why I thought he was a fifth-round pick.
What I can tell is what I saw, and read, and heard. My post when the Titans drafted him was brief, for the simple reason that I had hardly noticed his presence-he wasn’t a reported visitor, wasn’t so highly rated I watched him for general knowledge, hadn’t caught my eye for any other 03 Jul 2014 13:50:46 -0400http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/more_on_daquan_jones/s1_10189_16779256
http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/more_on_daquan_jones/s1_10189_16779256More on DaQuan Joneshttp://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/more_on_daquan_jones/s1_10189_16779256http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png